


everybody's waiting for you to arrive

by TheGodWith5Yen



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Background Relationships, Coping, Depression, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Jewish Character, Jewish Wanda Maximoff, Lesbian Character, Nonbinary Character, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Protective Sam Wilson, Romani Wanda Maximoff, Wanda has an accent, how many times can i reference magneto without even saying his name??, vision is a nonbinary lesbian, wanda isn't quite an avenger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 01:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18355907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGodWith5Yen/pseuds/TheGodWith5Yen
Summary: “Bad day?”That was one way to say it- bad day, bad week, bad month, bad year, bad life. After everything, Wanda felt as though she was dragging herself through the days. It was better, sometimes, when she managed to get out of bed and do something other than cry and think think think about her broken country and her dead brother (he used to be so alive, in every sense of the word, from his wide smiles when everything around them felt like pure shit, his humor, his everything, he was alive and now he wasn’t) and was around Steve and Sam and Clint and Clint’s teenage-not-daughter Kate, who all tried their best to help her.Wanda sighed. Maybe it wasn’t all too bad. Steve and Clint could have never fought to bring her to America. Steve could have left her in that much too modern room at Stark’s Avengers facility that made her uncomfortable. It wasn’t a home there. This- Steve and Sam’s apartment that was littered with knick knacks and had photos framed on the wall was a home. “A little,” she settled on saying, because, honestly, this was not one of her worst bad days.(or- Wanda's trying her best to move forward after more than a year without her brother)





	everybody's waiting for you to arrive

**Author's Note:**

> I just kind of wrote this?? Hope you enjoy it was fun for me! Title is from 'Alterlife' by Rina Sawayama
> 
> slight disclaimer- i am not jewish and dont really know anything so if you are and feel like I did not potray anything right pls tell me

Her nails were bitten down to the beds and when she examined them closely, she could make out the indents where she had gone and bitten the skin off the tips of her fingers. Wanda had never bitten her nails as a child- she had prided herself of that fact, she had nice clean nails just like her Mama always tried to had, she loved to brag about in front of Pietro, who always had his fingers inside his mouth. She frowned at her fingers, at the jagged nails. 

A light knock at her door and a soft “Wanda?” caused her to sit up on her bed as she pulled the dark red bed cover over herself. 

“Come in.” She called out, her fingers playing with the roses sewn onto the comforter. Wanda watched as her rooms door slowly opened and Steve peeked his head inside. They blinked at each for a second before Steve smiled. 

“I made some baked chicken and mashed potatoes if you’re hungry.” Steve rested his head against the door. He had that soft look in his eyes, that one that told Wanda exactly what she needed to know- he cared about her, saw her as much as a little sister as she was beginning to think of him as an older brother, despite the pain that brought to her. “Bad day?”

That was one way to say it- bad day, bad week, bad month, bad year, bad life. After everything, Wanda felt as though she was dragging herself through the days. It was better, sometimes, when she managed to get out of bed and  
do something other than cry and think think think about her broken country and her dead brother (he used to be so  _ alive _ , in every sense of the word, from his wide smiles when everything around them felt like pure shit, his humor, his everything, he was alive and now he wasn’t) and was around Steve and Sam and Clint and Clint’s teenage-not-daughter Kate, who all tried their best to help her. 

Wanda sighed. Maybe it wasn’t all too bad. Steve and Clint could have never fought to bring her to America. Steve could have left her in that much too modern room at Stark’s Avengers facility that made her uncomfortable. It wasn’t a home there. This- Steve and Sam’s apartment that was littered with knick knacks and had photos framed on the wall was a home. “A little,” she settled on saying, because, honestly, this was not one of her worst bad days.

Steve stood awkwardly at the door for a second before breathing in and asking, “Want me to bring the food in here?”

She nodded her head, not looking at him as she answered in a small voice, “I’d like that very much.” She was silent for half a second before she raised up her head to give him a forced smile that hurt her cheeks as her lips pulled up. “I’m sorry for being such a bother to you.”

Steve automatically shook his head, knocking his forehead a bit against the door. Wanda’s smile shifted towards something more real as Steve muttered a curse. “Wanda, in no way can you be a bother to us. I promise you that.” He left the door slightly ajar as he went to fetch a plate of food, which he placed on the nightstand next to Wanda. Steve reached out a large hand to place on top of her head. “We good kid?”

“Scratch and we will be very good.” Wanda muttered, feeling a bit like a child, like the little girl she once was, asking her father, who had rough hands from years of handling hard work, but still somehow soft as they picked her up, scratched at her head like she was good puppy, crooning out in his deep voice “you be good to Pietro” before he walked out the door for work.

The smile he gave her was large as he did as she asked. 

 

Good days were spent reading books outside of her room- books in English that she had a hard time understanding sometimes, but Steve or Vision, who liked to come around sometimes since they didn’t have much else to do, were always happy to help her- or discovering how to draw. She wasn’t very good at drawing, not like Steve, who could look at her face once and have it perfectly in hours if he wanted, but she enjoyed it quite a bit. 

It helped. With everything. It helped. 

She would hold the pad close to her body as drew harsh lines about a page- of the house she had grown up in, of her mother's jewelry she had always wanted as her own but had never gotten a chance to have, of her brothers smile, her father's tricks with metal coins. Wanda never had the heart to show anyone else, her drawings, but she knew they didn’t mind.

The only person she showed was Pietro- in a way. She would talk into the air, to him in HaOlam HaBa, where he resided now in peace (and by HaShem did Wanda hope that he was in peace and that all the sins they may have made out of hatred and fear not be held against her brother because he deserved much more than that he really did), and describe what she had made, talk about how lonely she felt. Losing him- it was as though her other half was gone. 

Pietro always said Wanda was much too melancholic. That she needed him- his silly words and laughter and demeanor- to help her out of her self made shell. They really were nothing alike whatsoever. 

He would have loved Clint- he had liked teasing him quite a bit when they had met on opposite sides of the battle and Wanda can only imagine the mischief he would have made if he was here as well. He would have liked Kate as well- she was just as odd and funny as Clint was. Not that Wanda disliked her, but she found that she couldn’t quite get comfortable with her as she did with Vision and Steve and Sam and Clint. 

Everyone wanted them to get along- they were close in age, Kate seventeen and Wanda twenty- but she found that she couldn’t put down a barrier whenever she was around. It made her a bit sad. Wanda wanted to like her as much as Clint wanted her to. 

Wanda found herself drawing Clint’s hands- scarred, with surprisingly long nails- with an arrow held in between them, and Kate’s dark eyebrows and wide eyes that had a lock of hair falling into them every now and then. A knock sounded at the door, breaking her concentration from the line she was making for Kate’s happy smile. 

Before she could stand and open the door however, a head popped through the door. 

“Oh hello.” Vision said as they phased into the apartment. They gave Wanda a shaky smile as they lowered their head slightly, not quite meeting her eyes. “I hope I did not bother you Wanda.”

“As though you could bother me Vision. I enjoy your company very much.” Wanda closed her drawing pad and set it aside. She pat the seat next to her. “Come sit. Unless you have come to find Steve?” It happened quite a bit, Vision arriving only to be looking for Steve, to gather his opinion on a matter or because he was not answering his phone and was needed for very important, urgent Avengers business. 

For a few seconds, Vision said nothing, only stood in front of the door, odd smile still on their face, before they broke out of their stupor, shaking their head. “No, no, I am not here for Captain Rogers. Actually, I was, well, I was hoping you had some free time. Perhaps we can, we could- um.” They raised a red hand to rub at the back of their neck. It was so human and normal- Wanda giggled as she watched them. 

“Just spit it out Vis.” Wanda let her head rest against the back of the sofa as she watched them take a few steps closer to where she sat. Vision was wearing a large baggy button down that Wanda was pretty sure was Steve’s and a pair of jeans with rips at the knees. “What would you like to do together?”

Vision breathed in. “I would love to- go shopping. For makeup and clothes. If you’d like. I’m not quite sure who else I could ask for a request such as this and I believe it may be beneficial for you if you would like to, though if you do not, I will leave or- we can always stay in, I have a collection of songs I found that-”

It was cute, how worked up they got. Before Vision could spiral any further, Wanda cut them off with a, “I’d love to Vis. Let me put on some clothes then we will be on our way. WIll you call Steve for me? I do not want him to be worry if I am gone when he arrives home.” 

“Of course. I am contacting Captain Rogers now.” Vision said with a nod of their head as Wanda stood up and walked over towards her room. She could hear their muffled voice through the door as she rummaged around for some clothes. She settled for a long flowing red dress with a pair of long black boots. Before Wanda walked out of the room, she grabbed at one of her red fabric headbands and placed it in her hair, pushing the thick curly mess away from her face. 

Wanda placed her hand- dark, ugly with short nails and skin peeled- over her cheek. She felt like a fashion model. She wondered what Vision would see when they looked at her. What did they think whenever they laid eyes on her? They must think she was quite a mess- this was all they ever knew of her. Someone who was made of glass and needed to be handled with care otherwise she would snap and cause destruction with a flick of her wrist. 

There were dark circles under her eyes- more prominent than usual. The smile she gave her mirror self was strained. 

 

It had taken a while, but Vision could appear human if they wished. They didn’t do it often, only when in public and they didn’t necessarily want to draw attention to themself. Wanda couldn’t dream of how horrible it was to stand out in red and green skin, everyone knowing just who you were. She could be anonymous- she blended well into the New York crowds.

So Vision had learned how to project a human body- that’s when they told Wanda that they preferred nonbinary terms for themself, as well as feeling more in tune with a feminine spirit (Vis was always so brave, much more than Wanda- she could never admit-). 

Vision’s human projection was androgynous- thick shoulders just like their own, tanned skin that seemed to glitter as the sun hit their skin, brown hair cropped close to the head, a crooked nose. They were interesting to look at, as much so as their true appearance was. The sleeve of Steve’s shirt was falling off their shoulder. Wanda found herself staring at that bare shoulder before turning away, gazing at the flow of people on the sidewalk. 

“What are you thinking of buying?” Wanda asked as she stepped closer to Vision to avoid getting hit by a woman's large bag. 

“I am not quite sure, but I would like to find some makeup for myself. To feel more feminine and to discover if it is something I would like for myself. However, I must admit, I am a bit unsure where to start. I figured that you would know. You are quite knowledgeable.” Vision’s hand brushed her own. Without much thought she gripped at it. 

“The New York crowds, I may never get used to.” Wanda laughed as she pressed closer to Vision. After a few seconds she added, “That is quite the compliment, calling me knowledgeable. I can show you a few techniques if you’d like. I am quite fond of the wings.” 

“Your wings always come out wonderful. Though- you look wonderful even with blood on your face.” Vision said with a small smile. Unsure how to respond, Wanda simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders. They walked for a few minutes. “I’m sorry that was an odd thing for me to say.”

Wanda pulled her hand out of theirs to push a lock of her hair out of her face and back behind her ear.  “No need to apologize my friend.” She locked her hands in front of her. She could feel Vision glancing at her, but she continued forward. 

They spent the afternoon searching through various stores for different types of makeup for Vision, as well as perusing through a few clothing aisles. Wanda had found a few dresses and flowing pants she liked and had decided, with some prompting from Vision and the little Pietro that lived inside her head, to buy a few for herself. While at one last store, Wanda stopped walking as she stared at a collection of rings and necklaces and earrings. 

Gold and silver and lovely and so much like her mother. 

Before she knew it, she was gathering as much as she could in her hands to bring over to the cashier- along with one small bottle of glittery red nail polish.

This was the most she had ever gotten for herself. 

 

“How was your day?” Steve asked as he served himself a large helping of Sam’s macaroni and cheese. Unlike the one Steve usually made- from the box- Sam’s was made with a lot of cheese and crunchy bread crumbs. Watching the way the cheese pulled up- long and long and delicious- Wanda licked her lips in anticipation. Steve caught her gazing dreamily at the food and laughed, hearty and loud. “C’mon kid, come get yourself a plate.”

As she served herself some of the macaroni and cheese, Wanda remembered that Steve had asked her something. “Sorry Steve, what had you asked me?” She asked over her shoulder. 

“How was your day with Vision?” Steve repeated his question as he sat next to his boyfriend, who was already eating, a forkful in his mouth. 

Sam swallowed his food and covered his mouth with his hand. “Spent the day with Vision? Do we gotta be giving this guy a talk? I have to start getting worried?” Wanda bit her lip- Vision had been brave enough to speak to her about their gender identity, but not the people they regularly worked with.

Despite the joking tone, Wanda knew that Sam was quite serious. She had heard him once tell someone that he had three sisters- “Oh my sister's drive me nuts! Francine, Lottie, Wanda, they constantly keep me on my toes, honestly!”- and it had warmed her heart before she thought of her own brother- cold, limp, blood drenching his chest, his silver hair stuck to his forehead from sweat and dirt, gone. It was kind of him though. Kind that he cared so much. 

“Do not worry, Vision is only a friend.” A small curl of something she could not name rushed through her stomach and she frowned at her food before stuffing some more into her mouth. 

“Good huh?” Sam grinned, cute and wide. “My mommas recipe with a little Sam twist. Good, right?” Wanda could only nod as she went to shovel even more in her mouth. 

 

The glittery red nail polish was not on her nails right, a little too clumpy in places, some on her skin, some with not quite enough polish, but Wanda didn’t give a fuck about it. The nail polish seemed to highlight everything wrong with her fingernails, an embellishment that could not hide the ugliness.

Wanda placed the bottle down on her nightstand. She abruptly stood up and rushed towards her closet, fishing out the bag full of jewelry- she placed rings upon rings onto her fingers and wrapped necklaces around her neck, some getting momentarily snagged by her thick hair- and she stepped into a short red dress. The color settled nicely against her dark skin. She ran her hand through her hair- it was getting much longer then she had had it in years. Like her mother's. 

She placed her hands on her hands and stared at her reflection. After a few seconds, Wanda moved to grab at her eyeliner, drawing a wing on her eyelid. It came out a little shaky, but she still smiled at her reflection. 

“You must think I’m so pathetic.” She whispered into the air in her native tongue; she said to her twin brother. “How I cannot move on. But- how can I? How can I ever move past  _ that _ . You were all I had left. After Mama and Papa, you were all I had left. Then you- you. And I know why you did so and I’m glad you saved him. Although I cannot move forward.” 

In her mind she could see her brother- his silver hair that he had loved curling around his temples, bathed in blue cloth over his body. Pietro would give her a crooked grin and shake his head. “What is holding you back Wanda? You think Mama and Papa would see your depression and think you good, would let you wail and shake your hands- what terrible little hands they are now, ugly little things, so unlike my big sisters. You think I want to see you this way?” He would blow a raspberry and roll his eyes at her as he leaned his head back to rest against something. “I hate seeing you sad, makes me miserable. Can’t rest peacefully when you are in so much pain.” 

A breathe in. A step back. 

The Pietro in her mind was correct- she was awfully pathetic like this. This was no way to honor her brother, her father, her mother. 

As she stepped out of her bedroom, tiptoed towards the kitchen to grab the package of Oreos Steve tried to hide behind other items in the cupboard, she ran her fingers over the rings on her left hand. 

 

It was the first time she had been the Avengers facility since she had moved out with Steve and Sam. The place was still very much white and modern. Wanda hated it. However, she walked through the hall towards the main room, where she could hear the team lounging and talking. The main room was a little more homely then the rest of the facility- it had a shag carpet and several sofas and armchairs and a television mounted up on the wall with game systems hooked up to it. 

Natasha was laying with her head on Clint’s lap, his fingers entwined with hers as they watched the screen. Vision was playing Mario Kart against Steve, both of them sitting with their legs crossed on the carpet, attention solely on trying to beat each other. Sam was sitting on the couch, Steve settled between his legs, cheering him on. Colonel Rhodes and Stark sat back on one couch, laughing. 

How- odd. From most conversations, it seemed that they did not get along well, but here they were. Wanda supposed that’s how it could be, with friends who were also a kind of family.

Wanda settled on the arm of the sofa next to Sam, who glanced up at her and grinned. “Finally came out to play?” He asked with a grin as he held out his arm for her to snuggle close to him. Usually, she never accepted, but today, after her night of finally letting herself come to accept the past and her future, Wanda let herself slide down and let him wrap his warm arm around her shoulders. “Nice rings.”

“Thank you.” Wanda said, her voice only just lingering above the sound of the game, enough to distract Vision, who glanced back at her. Their momentary distraction gave Steve the upper hand in the race- winning. He threw his head back to grin stupidly at his boyfriend. 

When he caught sight of Wanda at Sam’s side, his grin somehow widened even more. “Hey! I didn’t know you were coming over. Is everything alright?”

She reached a hand over to boop at his nose. “All is well. I suppose it was time to- get off my ass, as my brother would say. He was very crude, just like our father could be. He never cared much about coming off as a grumpy old man- he was one!” She was aware that the game was off and that everyone- even Stark- was listening, but she felt open and wanted to share something with them. To let go of the pieces of life only she knew of now. “My papa was in his sixties when we were born. Mama was younger, actually- Mama was his third wife, I believe. He had told us that he had a lot of pain in his life- forced inside those camps in Germany as a child, losing his first child for a bullet meant for him. I think he worked for as a mercenary? Something that gave him fear- he even took Mama’s name instead of she his. He always had sad look on his face. Mama always said I had her beauty, but Papa’s looks. Maybe that is why I am so sad.”

“You think it’s hereditary?” Natasha asked, her voice always came as a surprise- rough, with no clear accent unless she wanted one. At Wanda’s blank look in her direction, Natasha restated, “You think that your depression has been passed down from your father?”

Depression. 

Wanda wrinkled her nose at that word, but still nodded her head. 

“That could be possible.” Vision said as they turned their body towards Wanda. Their fingers fidgeted with the edge of their sweatshirts sleeve. “Depr- _ it _ can be passed through family members and effect someone after traumatic experiences. Considering both factors, it is understandable why you may have trouble getting out of your  _ bad days _ .”

Unsure what to say, Wanda simply shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose. Now- I would like to try and play the game if you do not mind.” Vision handed her the controller to play against Steve, and the atmosphere lightened up.

 

Vision’s room was filled up- little porcelain items, books of a variety of topics and genres, postcards from different cities and countries they traveled to for Avenger work, pictures of cats that were wound around their legs, a collection of cds, a pile of perfume and makeup hidden in the closet- giving the effect that it wasn’t the same style of room Stark had tried stuffing her into. Wanda pulled out the makeup out of the closet, rummaging through to find a shade for Vision. 

They sat crossed legged in the middle of the room, their form shifted into the short haired human. Wanda smiled at them as she scooched over to sit in front of them. Vision smiled back. 

“I’m excited.” Vision admitted as they watched Wanda place the different colored makeup she had grabbed onto the floor in between them. “Though, I believe Captain Rogers is worried that- that, well.” They seemed to lose the ability to speak, but Wanda knew where this was going.

“That we are having sex.” Wanda rolled her eyes despite feeling her face heat up. “I have told them not to worry, we are just friends. It makes me uncomfortable. Not the idea of sex with you- hearing them call you a man, when I know that is not how you think of yourself as. Will you ever tell them?” She opened up a palette, her brush hover over several different colors of eyeshadow before she went for the red. 

As she raised the brush up towards Vision’s face, they closed their eyes and finally answered. “It is hard, to tell them. It was hard to tell you and I like to think of us as close friends. Wait- you would have sex with me?” Vision’s tone was neutral, but the change in question felt so abrupt, Wanda nearly jumped and caused her hand to fly up. 

However, she was controlled enough to stay as still as she possibly could. The words she was about to stay felt like they were going to stick in her mouth, but she pushed on. “I suppose I would. I would not mind. We are friends. I- well, I understand how hard it can be. The only person I ever told I was a lesbian was Pietro. And you as well. Now.”

Vision pulled back and blinked their eyes- now with red over their eyelids, maybe Wanda should add some pink and orange- at Wanda, their mouth opening, but no sound escaping their lips. As always, Wanda waited for them to settle whatever thoughts were going through their mind. “I apologize. I am- surprised. I did not think- well, I-” they breathed in, “If I tell you something, will you still be my friend, even if you do not…”

“Vis, I will always be your friend. What is it?” She found herself leaning forward, her long hair brushing at her knees as she did so. 

Seconds passed into minutes, and they stayed still, watching one another. Finally- Vision took a breath and said- 

“I like you quite a bit. Romantically.” Vision wasn’t meeting her eyes as they continued on, “I love to see you smile. I want to give you everything I can. I want to brush your hair behind your ears and kiss that mole on your chin. And I understand how uncomfortable hearing this may make you feel, but I need you to know, because- emotions are tight and they hurt, even when they are good. It hurt to see you and not let you know all I felt.” Their fingers held tight at their knees. 

Surprise and happiness caused Wanda to feel a prickle in her eyes. She bit her lip as she shuffled closer to Vision, lowered her head so her eyes met theirs. “The others do not understand you and neither they of me, not fully. But you- you listen and offer all you can and I- it has made me happy. To hear these words from you, I feel much more happiness than ever. I- I have been fearful to admit to myself how I feel. Of, um, for you. Sorry- am I make sense right now?” 

Vision nodded their head, causing their forehead to hit at Wanda’s. Wanda laughed and leaned towards them, her fingers clutching at the baggy sweatshirt they had on. As she straightened up slightly, she let her lips graze their chin in a featherlight kiss. As she went back to putting makeup on them, they were both grinning and feeling silly and light.

 

The yellow blouse looked good on Vision, and Wanda told them so repeatedly as she grabbed their hand and pressed a kiss to their knuckles as she glanced up at them. It went well with the sunset like eyeshadow Wanda had applied on their lids. They looked cute. Vision continued to examine themself in the mirror before breathing in. 

After talking, they had decided- they would walk out of Visions room and go out to have fun together- to have a date. The idea filled Wanda’s stomach with butterflies and all she wanted to do was hold their arm in her own, leaning into their body and look up at them, stare at them- their smile, the way their nose wrinkled up, the furrow between their eyebrows. And while Vision had stated they were equally excited, they were apprehensive of actually leaving the room- the facility- like this. To walk past their colleagues. 

“Do not worry. If they ever say anything about you, I know exactly how to torment them.” She said it with a shrug and without any real heat in her voice. Her friend- more than friend?- laughed and nodded their head. Wanda pulled them towards the door and forward they moved. They walked on and on and when they moved past the main room, where the others still were, they paused to watch as the others were gathered around a board game, laughing. Wanda lightly kicked at Steve’s arm. “Vis and I are going on a date. They are taking me to eat good food and makeout under the stars. I will be home late.”

Steve glanced back at her, at Vision, who was attempting to hunch down as if to hide behind Wanda and her wild head of hair. He pursed his lips. “Before midnight. Or else Sam’s going to scour the whole city to drag you whole.”

“You know I will.” Sam shook his head as he glared over at Vision with slitted eyes. “I ain't gonna let you hurt my girl Vision. Wait- makeout- Vision, my robot, if she comes home with a hickey on her neck, you best well know I won’t go easy on you while sparring.”

Vision shifted forwards slightly as they gave a small laugh. “I believe I can easily beat you if it comes to that.” 

“You little shit!” Sam made to stand up, but Wanda was laughing and dragging Vision away, the two of the nearly running to get out. She called over her shoulder, “Be back by eleven, promise!”

 

Her nails were slowly growing, day by day. Becoming more of what she once knew. Wanda stared at the chipped red polish on them as she slipped gold and silver rings onto her fingers and an array of clunky bracelets that chimed as they hit one another as she walked. She grabbed at a red choker and wrapped it around her neck. 

She could hear Steve and Sam and Clint in the living room, laughing as they watched television and as Steve made dinner- lasagna tonight. Her fingers shook slightly as she rubbed a tiny bit of lipstick to her cheeks- to add a red tint of blush to her skin. Wanda smiled at her reflection, at her healing fingers, and when Steve knocked to ask if she was coming out for dinner, Wanda bounded over to open the door and step out. 

Wanda sat next to Sam, head on his thick arm, and placed her feet in Clint’s lap as she tried her best to keep up with the jokes of the show. Some jokes that had the men laugh flew over her head, but she still enjoyed this. 

When she glanced at Clint, she thought of her brother, but not in a way that made her so sad it weighed on her body and mind. It was different. Wanda thought of how he would curl up next to the man and laugh at the jokes- even if he had no clue what was being said either. When Steve ruffled at her hair and placed his chin on top of her head, so brotherly and loving, it didn’t hurt so much anymore. None of it did anymore. 

Life moved on. Skin healed. Nails grew. Love and family appeared when you needed them most. 

Wanda shoveled a large piece of lasagna onto her plate and, when Sam moved to eat a bit of gooey cheese from her plate, moved her hand in a way that caused red to spark out from her fingertips and tickle at his chin.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed <3 I had a nice time writing this and it came out much longer than I thought it would be!!! Please leave a comment, a kudos, check out my other stories if you'd like! Thanks for reading <3


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